Air seeders are commonly towed by a traction unit, e.g., an agricultural tractor, to apply seed and/or fertilizer to a field. An air seeder has as a primary component a wheeled air cart which includes one or more frame-mounted tanks for holding material, typically seed and/or fertilizer. It is generally advantageous to tow an air cart in combination with a tilling implement, one behind the other, to place the seed and fertilizer under the surface of the soil. Air seeders generally include a metering system for dispensing material from the tanks and a pneumatic distribution system for delivering the material from the tanks to the soil. A centrifugal fan provides at least one airstream which flows through the pneumatic distribution system. Material is first introduced to the air stream by the metering system at a primary distribution manifold located below the metering system. Material is carried by the air stream through distribution lines to a series of secondary distribution manifolds, which in turn distribute the material through distribution lines to seed boots mounted behind ground openers on the tilling implement so that the product may be evenly delivered to the ground which is tilled by the tilling implement.
An air cart as described above typically includes a conveyor in the form of an auger or belt which is primarily used for loading the one or more tanks, but may also be used for unloading the one or more tanks. Such conveyors may be long and heavy, and thus are usually movably mounted to the frame of the air cart so that the operator is not required to lift and move the entire weight of the conveyor. Nonetheless, such conveyors still remain difficult for some operators to position for loading, unloading and transport, especially with wind or on sidehill terrain.
What is needed in the art is an air cart with a conveyor that can be simply, quickly and easily positioned at loading, unloading and transport positions.